Fireproofing member



1939- J. H. vouNg-z T AL 2,142,i64

FIREPROOFING MEMBER Filed Feb. 27, 1936 reamed Jan. 3, 1939 PATENTOFFICE FIBEPROOFING MEIVIBER James Howard Young and Paul W. Jenkins,

Pittsburgh, Pa., assignors to H. H. Robertson Company, Pittsburgh, Pa",a corporation of Pennsylvania Application February'z'i, 1936, Serial No.66,032

4 Claim.

This invention has for its object to provide a fire-proofing memberwhich is initially inactive, inexpensive and capable of being assembledin a relatively thin layer or body which can be easily handled andremains in such condition in the absence of a fire, and which isexpanded under the influence of a fire and in its expanded conditionforms an eilicient protective or fire-proofing body or layer ofmaterially greater thickness.

To this end, vermiculite or like micaceous material in its natural orunexfoliated condition may be employed alone or may be mixed with abinder of gypsum or other material of such character as will notdetrimentally interfere with the expansion or exfoliation of thevermiculite under the infiuence of a fire.

The fire-proofing member composed of vermiculite in itsnatural orunexpanded condition can be quickly and easily placed in position withrelation to a steel or other structural member of a building or otherstructure and may be retained in such position by any suitable means. Incase a fire occurs in the-building or other structure, the initial heatfrom the fire acts on the inactive fireproofing member and causes thecrude or natural vermiculite to expand and the water therein to bedriven oil and the crude vermiculite to be converted into an active orexpanded condition and form a layer or body of materialy greater volumeor thickness which is materially lighter per unit volume and capable ofresisting excessive temperature due to the fire, and to offer efilcientresistance to heat transmission, and thereby provide the steel or otherstructural member with a fire resisting member capable of affordingefficient protection against fire.

The normally inactive fire-proofing member of vermiculite in its crudeor natural condition; may beused to protect metal fioors, girders,beams, or other structural members of abuilding whether of steel, wood,concrete or of other material.

The particular features of this invention will be hereinafter pointedout in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 conventionally represents a portionof a steel floor of a building or other structure and a fire-resistingmember embodying this invention in its inactive state and supportedbelow and separated from the steel floor. and Fig. 2 is a similar viewof the steel floor with the fire-resisting member in its expanded andactive condition and converted into a fire-proofing member afi'ordingefficient protection against fire for the steel floor.

Referring to the drawing It) represents a steel or other structuralmember which is to be protected against fire exposure, and I2 representsa compact or relatively thin layer or body of mate'- rial composed inwhole or in part of mineral vermiculite in its natural or crudecondition, in which the vermiculite is unexfoliated or unexpanded andtherefore inactive in the absence of a fire.

The inactive layer or body l2 may be supported in any suitable manner soas to be disposed between the structural member to be protected and thepossible source of fire, and in the present instance, the layer or bodyI! rests upon a supporting or retaining member l3 suspended from thefloor I0, and located so that the body or layer I 2 is separated fromthe floor by a substantial space M, which allows for expansion of thecrude or natural vermiculite of the layer or body l2 under theconditions of a fire.

In case of a fire, the heat thereof initially expands the crude ornatural vermiculite and also dehydrates the same, and the expansion issuch that the crude or natural vermiculite is converted into a layer orbody !5 which is of a volume or thickness materially greater than thatof the inactive body or layer l2 and is also materially lighter per unitvolume than the body or layer l2 and fills the space I4 and'forms aprotective layer or body ofv high heat insulating emciency, whichprotects the floor against excessive temperature rise and providesefiicient protection for the structural member against the fire.

The crude or natural vermiculite may be used alone in a loose conditionor it may be mixed with a binder, preferably gypsum or other materialwhich affords more or less resistance to a fire and is of such characteras will not materially interfere with the expansion of the vermiculitein'its crude or natural condition. The mixture of crude or naturalvermiculite and gypsum or other binder may be made in the form of aslab, layer or body, which is compact, relatively thin and such as caneasily be handled and readily placed'in position and supported inoperative position with'relation v to the structural member.

In practice, upon expansion of the crude or natural vermiculite, thebinder is readily disintegrated and does not prevent expansion of thevermiculite,

""Iii Fig. l the retaining or supporting member I3 is represented assuspended from the steel fioor ID by hooks l8 and wires 19. Thesupporting member l3 may be thin metal sheets, wire mesh or any othersuitable material.

What is claimed is:

1. In a building or other structure, in combination, a structural membercapable of being impaired by excessive temperatures of a fire, a fireresistive member co-operating with said structural member and capable ofexpandng when subjected to the initial heat of a fire to form aprotective member of greater thickness capable oi acting in its expandedcondition as an eflicient heat insulator to thereby eflectively protectthe structural member from excessive temperatures due to the fire andmeans for operatively supporting the tire resistive member in operativerelation to the structural member.

2. In a building or other structure, in combination, a structuralmember, a retaining member opposed to said structural member and spacedtheretrom,and a protective member forsaid structural member located insaid space and capable of being expanded by the initial heat of a fireto fill said space and form a heat insulating member forefiectivelyprotectingthe structural member from excessive temperatures due to thefire.

3. In a building or other structure, in combination, a structuralmember, a retaining member opposed to said structural member andseparated therefrom by a space of substantial depth, and a protectivemember for said structural member located in said space and normally ofa thickness less than the depth of said space and capable of expandingwhen heated to fill the said spacewith a material having a relativelyhigh heat insulating efilciency.

4. In a building or other structure, in combination, a metallic floor, aretaining member sus pended from said floor and separated therefrom by aspace of substantial depth, and a substantial- 1y thin layer ofunexfoliated material supported by said retaining member and capable ofbeing expanded by the initial heat of a fire to form a fire protectingmember of materially greater thickness and having a relatively high heat111811. lating efiiciency.

' JAMES HOWARD YOUNG.

PAUL W. JENKINS.

